The South Asian Tsunami: Foretaste of Things to Come?

Where do major catastrophes like the South Asian tsunami fit in the long train of prophetic events?

by John Ross Schroeder

For several weeks after the disaster, newspapers and magazines regularly devoted several pages to the ongoing effects of the deadly tsunami that struck South Asia Dec. 26. Poignant accounts of tragic personal losses of family and friends put a human face on mounting death-toll statistics. Encouraging stories of incredible heroism and a groundswell of sympathy, expressed in generous contributions from countries all over the world, reminded us that we are our brother's keeper.

Inevitably, many religious leaders reacted with a desire to give both their followers and the general public a philosophical framework in which to deal with these unacceptable events. Some responses might be rather surprising.

The title of one article was "If This Was an Act of God—What Was God Thinking?"

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in an article in the Jan. 2 Sunday Telegraph, wrote: "The question—'How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?' is therefore very much around at the moment, and it would be surprising if it weren't—indeed, it would be wrong if it weren't. The traditional answers will get us only so far."

Assessing responsibility properly

We addressed several important aspects of the theological dilemmas in an article in the January issue of World News and Prophecy. (More understanding can be obtained by requesting our free brochure Why Does God Allow Suffering?) The disaster struck during our very tight editorial cycle, which enabled us to provide only a brief analysis in the last issue.

But with the added perspective of the passing of time—and with often-unrealized factors since coming to light—we can better assess the meaning of the tragedy and how those factors relate to biblical prophecy. Due to space limitations, however, we can only cover a few of these factors.

Read the full article at www.wnponline.org/wnp/wnp0502/tsunami.htm

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